blackwhalegroupblackwhalegroup // An idea studio focused on converging the physical with the digital and digitizing our physical reality. We look for the white space in trends, conversations, and industries and capitalize on opportunities that others might not see; or are too afraid to take a stand and dream.

Forecast: Connected-Fragmented Brands

During a discussion yesterday, it dawned on me as to how close we are from the connected brands that we will inevitably become. With the thrust of open transparency driving awareness and conversation around business models, practices, development, and marketing, consumers are shattering the idea of brand and segmenting and fragmenting the role it plays within each of their lives. Historically, brands have been a symbolic and emotional gesture to represent a certain product or service. Take the Nike swoosh for example, when looking at it, you sense a certain idea of athletic apparel with a certain level of quality.

With the thrust of open transparency driving awareness and conversation around business models, practices, development, and marketing, consumers are shattering the idea of brand and segmenting and fragmenting the role it plays within each of their lives.

But over the past few years, consumers are wanting more from brands; defecting from the companies that don’t or refuse to perform their business in a certain way (ie product sourcing, sustainability, animal testing, etc) or communicate in a certain way (ie engaging on Facebook, owning up to mistakes, providing extensive customer service outlets, etc). We have seen innovative brands like Nike, where they have embraced the opportunity to not only engage in the consumer dialog, but also use the insight they derive to deliver product enhancements and business decisions. Nike was recently featured in the Top 10 of the “100 Best Corporate Citizens List on FastCompany.” Which leads me to my conversation I had; I was told that there is research the directly aligns innovative sustainability in product development to the bottom line of a business.

Imagine the opportunities that lay ahead of us if we embrace the fragmentation of our brand, develop a dynamic persona, and engage with our consumer on the most intimate level; moving beyond a single product or service and delivering an ecosystem of value that integrates our brand into the lifestyle of each, individual consumer.

In my mind, I think, that if this one aspect of your brand, which is currently being driven by the consumer can add direct revenue, what else can we derive from engaging our consumers? How much more can we segment to provide the utmost value and understanding? Imagine the opportunities that lay ahead of us if we embrace the fragmentation of our brand, develop a dynamic persona, and engage with our consumer on the most intimate level; moving beyond a single product or service and delivering an ecosystem of value that integrates our brand into the lifestyle of each, individual consumer. Imagine the impact and success that we could have.

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